Los Angeles daily herald., 1887-05-23
AMUSEM ENrS.
How to Determine What Amuse-
ments are Proper.

ments are Proper.
Rev. w. J. Chichester continued hi
course of sermons for the benefit o
young people last evening, by discussing
the question of doubtful amusements
He took his text from the 18th and lStl
verses of the Second Book of Kings, in
which Naaman, the Syrian, who having
been healed OF leprosy by elisha, was
converted to the faith of the true God,
and was troubled as to what he should
do when he returned to his country to
avoid assisting 10 idolatrous practices.
Naaman was high servant of the king
"a captain CT the hosts-and as suca
was compelled to perform certain rites
connected with the Temple of Rimmon.
Bat Elisha was 50 convinced OF the SIN
cerity OF Naaman's conversion to the
true God. that lie told him TO go in
peace. He knew that a sincere believer
would no nothing which his conscit nee
dictated he should not do, and that
whatever he did, whether in the Temple
OF Rimmon or elsewhere, would be such
only as would commend itself TO his
spiritual judgment. The learned divine
made the application of Naaman's case
to the subject of his discourse, and said
that no true Christian would take part
in any amusement of a character so
doubtful in its propriety as to shock his
moral nature. The way in which such
amusements should reveal itself to mis-
spiritual judgment would decide in
each case upon the propriety or i'm.
propriety OF the amusement or di
version he ought to indulge in. In a
broad way, the speaker could designate
popular pastimes and practices that
should not be encouraged in any way.
These were obvious to every pure mind
Dancing was only obnoxious when it
was suggestive OF impurity of thought
or action. This might be in the manner
or in the dress, or in both. Each peyscn
could determine for him or herself ex-
actIy where propriety ended and impro-
-priety began. The difference between
gran9e dame aud a paysanRe had
been witliiy described in this way: A
granae dame is deeolletee from on top;
a paysaRne is decolletes from b. low.
Now, no one could say exactly where
the line of impropriety in these cases
should be drawn, but anybody could de.
termme. tina, ii the decollet6e process in
both classes OF women should be united
ia one person the line of propriety had
been oversIepped, and the danger point
reached. This would place the modern
ballet under the ban Of all sincere
Christians. As to the drama aud the
line OF amusements connected with the
drama, the same process Of individual
judgment should determine what was
fit and what was not The legitimate
drama, including nearly all the standard
plays written by the great dramatic
authors, are not immoral. They con-
sttute one of the highest and most in.
structive fields of literature. Yet there
are plays which by common consent OF
the moral judgment of mankind are de.
debasing and demoralizing in their tone
and their teaching. These should be
avoided, of course, and the Christian
viii find no difficulty in segregatng
tnem from the grand productions OF
such authors as Shakespeare, Otway,
Beaumont and Fletcher, Gay, Shadwell,
Monks, Sheridan, Knowles, Racine,
Corneille, and Moliere. As between the
great works of these authors and the
meretricious sensations of the younger
Dumas, Sardou, Theophile Gautier, and
some of their English and American
imitators in what is called the French
school, there is vast moral chasm.
The plays of the former appeal to the
higher order of our intellectual nature;
those OF the latter pander to the lower
passions and the prurient tastes of our
animal nature. 1t requires no sagacity
to make us know that variety enter
taiDments are injurious. We know this
instinctively, The best way for the
Christian to select his amusements is to
first ask his conscience and his better
Judgment whether they are such as he
can partake of without injury to him.
self. He will know this from within /;
and if he is true Christian, there is no
more danger that he will 60 astray than
that Naaman would do any idolatrous
act after he had been con verted to full
belief in the God of Israel.